


Cat Whisperer

by IncendiaGlacies



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, F/F, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-02
Updated: 2017-12-07
Packaged: 2019-02-09 08:49:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,827
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12884307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IncendiaGlacies/pseuds/IncendiaGlacies
Summary: “No, no, no! You can’t talk to animals,” Zari repeated. Just then Cleo meowed again.“Really?” Amaya looked down demurely before looking back at Zari with an impish smile, “Because Cleo just said that you really like me. And you think I’m pretty.”“I knew that cat couldn’t keep a secret!”Inspired by Dr. Dolittle





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I was watching Dr. Dolittle and got inspired...so have some Zamaya

Zari yawned as she meandered into the kitchen to find herself some breakfast. It was far too early to be up already. She heard a meow as she walked through the living room and glared at the cat that crossed her path. That was supposed to be bad luck, right? Or did it only count if the cat was black? Whatever, food first. Superstitious thoughts, later. She gave her roommate a half-hearted sleepy wave as she set the coffeemaker to work and yawned again.

“I’m going to need you to take Cleo to the vet today,” Rip spoke up from the table as he flipped the page of his newspaper.

“Why can’t you do it?” Zari asked, “She’s your cat!”

“Because I have work,” Rip spoke slowly as if to a child, “And you get to work from home. So you’re taking her to the vet. She’s been off for a few days, I think she’s getting sick and I’d rather just nip it in the bud.”

“How can you even tell? It’s a cat. Doesn’t even talk or like anyone except for you,” Zari muttered as Rip glared at her. She sighed, “Why do I have to do it? It’s not my fault you have a boring job. You should have been a software developer, like me.”

“And if I had any talent with computers whatsoever, I would have,” Rip said as he walked up next to her and put his own dishes in the sink.

“Clearly, you still read the actual newspaper. Old man,” Zari teased.

Rip shot her a look, “Take Cleo to the vet. Please.”

“Fine,” Zari grumbled.

“Thank you, Zee,” Rip said, “You know, it wouldn’t kill you two to get along a bit better.”

“She’s a cat.” Zari deadpanned. Rip merely shook his head at her and grabbed his things as he got ready to leave. He pecked the cat on the top of her head and ruffled her fur before heading to the door. Zari called, “You better make it up to me!”

“I’ll make you a pie!” Rip yelled back as he shut the door behind him.

Zari huffed as she crossed her arms and glared at the purring cat, “Better be the best damn pie in the world.”

* * *

 

“Dr. Jiwe is ready for you now,” the receptionist ushered.

Zari stood up from her uncomfortable plastic chair with Cleo in her cat kennel and walked into the available room where she was told to wait for even longer.

“I hope you’re actually sick,” Zari told the cat, “Otherwise all of this was a huge waste of time.”

“Well, let’s find out if she is sick or not,” a voice sounded from behind her. Zari turned and found a woman standing with a hand outstretched, “I’m Dr. Jiwe. Or Amaya as I usually like to be called.”

“Zari, my friends call me Zee,” Zari berated herself silently for giving all that information. The doctor certainly wouldn’t care. Even if she did have a really pretty smile.

Amaya cleared her throat as she opened the kennel and took the cat out, “And what’s your name?”

“Her name is Cleo,” Zari answered, “She’s my roommate’s pet. He asked me to bring her here. Says she’s getting sick.”

“Oh, is that so?” Amaya asked worriedly, “Well let’s do a quick check up. Can you get up on that table Cleo? And just wait a second.”

“I doubt she’ll listen. She’s not very good at taking instruction-” Zari cut herself off as she watched Cleo do exactly as she was told. “She never listens to me,” she looked in awe.

Amaya laughed softly, “I suppose you could say I have a way with animals.”

“Well, I guess it’s a good thing you became a vet then,” Zari complimented her.

“Yeah, I guess it is,” Amaya smiled at her.

Amaya continued with her examination of Cleo. She looked at the cat whenever she asked her questions, listening intently as Zari answered over the loud meows. Strangely, Zari thought, Amaya treated Cleo as an actual person. If Zari didn’t know any better she’d say Amaya was holding an actual conversation with the cat.

After certain meows, Amaya would say something about the office, or the table Cleo was sitting on, or ask why a certain body part hurt on Cleo. It was similar to how new mothers would coo over their babies and pretend to understand their babbling, except Amaya seemed sincere in her efforts.

Every now and then she’d side eye Zari or look up as if embarrassed by her actions. But despite her quirks, Amaya seemed to be a rather competent veterinarian. Zari was impressed, which wasn’t something that happened easily. But Amaya was compassionate, competent and really, really pretty. Zari stopped her train of thought there. It wasn’t like she had a chance anyways.

“Well, I think you’re about good to go,” Amaya finished up, “She does have a cold so I’m prescribing some antibiotics. Give it to her over the course of a week and she should be much better by the end of it. Fair warning though, most cats hate the taste so beware of her scratching you.”

“Yeah, I remember when we first got her. Trying to give her a bath the one time, she hated it!” Zari laughed at the memory. It had only been a few months since they had found the cat on the streets. Rip had doted on the animal ever since.

Amaya laughed along with her, “Most cats don’t tend to like water too much. It’s why they’re so good at self-grooming.”

“Only reason I said yes to a cat. They’re independent. You a cat or a dog person?” Zari asked suddenly. You could tell a lot about a person by which they preferred.

“I am an all-kinds-of-animals person,” Amaya responded diplomatically. Cleo gave a meow at that making Amaya smile at her, “Yes, of course. Cats are definitely at the top of the list.” She gave Cleo one more pet before returning her to Zari.

“Thank you,” Zari said, “Do – will we need to come back in for another check-up later on?” Would Amaya be there again?

“If the antibiotics don’t work, then feel free to come back in. But otherwise I don’t think so.” Maybe Zari was imagining it, but did her voice seem disappointed about not seeing each other again?

“Oh.”

“But, we could always, I guess we might see each other around?” Amaya asked as she bit her lip.

“Yeah, I’ll see you around,” Zari smiled as she began walking out, “Thanks again.”

“Of course, tell Rip not to worry so much about her. She’s going to be just fine!” Amaya said.

It took Zari until she got home to realize she had never actually mentioned Rip’s name even once.

* * *

 

“I mean it’s not weird right?” Zari asked aloud as she munched on her chips. There was no one to entertain her thoughts but Cleo. Regrettably, Zari allowed the cat to share the couch with her. Just this once.

“You probably went to see Amaya – Dr. Jiwe before? And that’s how she knew Rip’s name. Right?” Zari looked at the cat. Cleo simply stared at her blankly before letting out a soft purr. Zari huffed, “Great answer. No, that can’t be right. Because Rip said she was recommended to him by Jax. So he’s never met her before. Did she read your tags?”

Cleo meowed again.

“No, because I took them off you,” Zari remembered belatedly. She groaned as she put the chips down. She couldn’t even focus on food. “You know what? It doesn’t even matter! I shouldn’t even be thinking about the veterinarian. Not like I’m ever going to see her again. Even if she is really pretty. And looks like she has really soft and kissable lips.” Cleo meowed again.

Zari gave the cat a sharp look, “You better not tell anyone about this. I don’t need Rip’s teasing. It’s a good thing you can’t actually talk. You probably couldn’t keep a secret anyways.”

Just then the apartment door opened and Rip walked in. He did a double take of the scene in front of him as he asked, “Are you two actually getting along?”

Zari glared, “Just this once.”

“You’re being friends.”

“She’s got antibiotics, I picked them up for you,” Zari ignored his teasing.

“Ah, thanks for that. So, she is sick?” Rip asked as he took a seat next to Zari and pulled Cleo into his lap and stroked her fur.

“Yeah. But the antibiotics should perk her right up. Your job to give them to her though. I refuse to be scratched.” Zari could almost feel the glare Cleo was sending her so she responded, “Don’t give me that look. You know you scratch!”

Rip gave her an incredulous look, “Did you just talk to her? Properly and nicely?”

“Maybe.”

“You’ve never done that before,” the shock was clear in his voice.

“There’s a first time for everything,” Zari retorted, “Besides you do it-”

“Well she’s mine and I actually like her. Besides, she’s a good listener.”

“Probably why you don’t have an actual girlfriend,” Zari quipped. Rip glared at her in turn and even Cleo meowed loudly at that. Zari sighed, “Look, you talk to her and she likes you best. Amaya talked to her-”

“Amaya?” Rip raised an eyebrow.

“Dr. Jiwe,” Zari corrected herself, ignoring the smirk on Rip’s face, “Anyways, my point is. She likes it when people talk to her. Maybe she’ll actually like me if I talk to her a bit more.”

“She can tell that you don’t like her,” Rip stroked Cleo’s fur, “That’s why she’s so harsh to you. Just put in some more effort. Now then, you good with delivery tonight? And a movie on Netflix?”

“Sounds good,” Zari agreed. Already she got the remote to scroll through their favourites. Rip put Cleo on the ground as he headed to the kitchen to grab the takeout menus. Zari rolled her eyes as Cleo followed him around. Most people said dogs were loyal, but Cleo definitely busted that myth. The cat was way too attached to Rip. Zari waited until he came back and sat next to her again before asking.

“Hey, you didn’t go to see this vet before, did you?”

“No, why?” Rip frowned, “Was she not good?”

“No, no she was, she was great-”

“I’m sure she was,” Rip teased, the humor clear in his eyes and voice.

Zari slapped his chest as he laughed, “Shut up. She’s a good vet. I was just curious. That’s all.”

“Did you at least get her number?”

“No. Felt too weird to do that,” Zari sighed, “Don’t think she even liked me anyways.” Cleo meowed again, Rip petted her until she quieted down.

“Don’t sell yourself short.”

“Think it’s too late to cyber stalk her?”

“Probably not the best way to make a good first impression,” Rip chided her gently.

Zari huffed and leaned against him, “I’m going to be single forever!”

Rip laughed, “I’ll be right there with you.” As Cleo curled onto his lap and Zari rested her head on his shoulder he commented, “At least I’ve got my two best girls with me. And you’ve got us.”

* * *

 

“Raymond, I am tired. Would you please just pick a movie already?”

Zari paused when she heard the voice. She knew that voice. Slowly she wandered into the next aisle over, and sure enough, there was Amaya. Looking rather irritated with the man next to her. Oh, boyfriend problems.

“But they’re both so good!” Raymond whined. Amaya glared in response.

Zari knew she should walk away, but Raymond already turned and saw her standing awkwardly there so she knew she should probably say something.

“Um, hey Amaya,” Zari waved.

“Zari,” Amaya’s face lit up, “How are you? How’s Cleo doing?”

“Good, she’s good,” Zari nodded, “Those antibiotics really helped. She’s doing much better now.”

“Good, I’m glad to hear it,” Amaya gave her a shy grin that sent butterflies into Zari’s stomach. Beside Amaya, the man cleared his throat, clearly waiting for an introduction. Amaya sighed, “Zari, this is my friend, Ray. Zari came in with a sick cat a couple weeks ago.”

“Oh,” Ray’s eyes sparkled mischievously, “Ray Palmer, nice to meet you. I didn’t think anyone looked at video stores anymore.” He gestured around them.

“My roommate doesn’t approve of me illegally downloading everything all the time,” Zari rolled her eyes, “And it was his night to pick so we’re going old school and renting a DVD.”

“Good guy,” Ray commented, “So, is that a roommate as in just a male friend and not a boyfriend?”

“Ray!” Amaya scolded as he shrugged innocently.

“Just a friend. He’s not exactly my type,” Zari gave Amaya a surreptitious look over. She wasn’t sure, but she thought she saw the other woman blush.

“Ah, well that’s good. Isn’t it, Amaya?” Ray asked pointedly.

“Yeah, good for you,” Amaya cleared her throat, “Anyways, we were probably going to leave soon anyways. Ray wanted to watch an old Disney animated classic and my roommate Sara is probably getting restless in the car.”

“Gotta love a good musical! All the good songs, like ‘I won’t say I’m in love’ or even ‘Kiss The Girl’. Good advice, always,” Ray grinned. Amaya glared at him in response.

“Yeah, musicals are great. Always wanted to see ‘Singing in the Rain’ but haven’t gotten around to it yet,” Zari commented off hand.

“Oh we own that movie!” Ray said excitedly, “Amaya can totally show it to you, can’t you?”

“Yes, I could, if you wanted?” Amaya looked at her nervously.

“Yeah, my roommate is usually gone on Saturdays. You could come over this weekend? I have a pretty awesome setup,” Zari took pride in her work.

“That sounds perfect,” Amaya smiled. By the time both girls left the store they had exchanged phone numbers and sketched out the details of their meetup (unofficial date!) much to Ray’s amusement.

“Would you wipe that grin off your face?” Amaya lectured, “Stop looking so smug!”

“I can’t help it! I’m happy for you! I mean you’ve clearly been silently pining over this girl ever since you met her. And here she is again, completely into you, I might add. The fates have smiled down on you, Amaya!” Ray gushed. Amaya laughed at her friend’s excitement over her love life. Ray slowed as he saw a dog in their path, “Oh no, he looks lost.”

“Are you lost?” Amaya asked aloud. The dog barked once. Amaya turned to Ray, “He says he’s fine. His owner is waiting inside. He wants one of those hot dogs though,” Amaya nodded to the street vendor. Ray frowned and then ran over to buy a hot dog from the stand and came running back with the offering of food. “Here you are,” Amaya petted the dog, “Enjoy!”

“Come on, let’s get going,” Ray slung an arm over her shoulders, “See ya little guy!”

“Bye Felix!” Amaya added.

* * *

 

“I didn’t know we were expecting company,” Rip commented sardonically as Zari opened the door and let Amaya in.

“Rip, meet Amaya. Amaya, this is Rip, my roommate. He was just on his way out,” Zari glared at him.

“I was?” Rip asked amused.

“Yes, you were,” Zari grabbed him by the arm and tugged him to the door. Unsurprisingly Cleo followed. “No, we’re keeping the cat,” Zari said as she took Cleo and pushed her back inside.

“You’re keeping Cleo? You must really like this girl,” Rip commented as Zari pushed him into the hallway.

“Yeah, well,” Zari shrugged uncomfortably.

Rip threw one last look into their apartment and placed a hand on her shoulder, “Well, I hope it goes well. By the way she looks at you, it will.”

Zari bit her lip and held back a grin, “Shut up. Go visit a museum or something!”

Rip laughed, “Alright then. Make sure you feed Cleo!”

“Yeah, yeah! Get out of here,” Zari rolled her eyes and closed the door on him. She was greeted by the sight of Amaya bending down and talking to Cleo.

“All I’m saying is you seem a little attached to him. Are you sure there’s nothing you want to-”

Cleo hissed at Amaya’s words and prowled off to claim the armchair as her own. Amaya sighed as she stood up, “Well, I guess she doesn’t want to talk about it.”

“Do you want to start the movie?” Zari offered. Amaya nodded and they both settled down on the couch and put in the DVD Amaya had brought. Zari tried her best to focus on the movie, and not how good Amaya smelled, or how her hair was falling onto Zari’s shoulder whenever she leaned in and laughed, or how soft she felt. Zari was most definitely not thinking about any of that.

As it turned out, it wasn’t too hard not to think about it all. Because Amaya’s quirks would come up again and again. The girls had a running commentary on the movie. But every now and then Cleo would meow or purr and Amaya would turn to her and talk as if to a normal human being.

Finally half way through the movie as Amaya caught Cleo up on the plot point she had missed, Zari had enough and paused it. She turned to Amaya, “Alright, what are you doing?”

“I thought we were watching the movie?” Amaya asked confused.

“Yeah, but you’re talking to the cat.”

“Yes.”

“Like you can actually understand it,” Zari said slowly.

“Actually she prefers to be ‘her’ since she is a female. She says it’s one of the reasons you annoy her,” Amaya corrected. Later, Amaya might explain how her name wasn’t actually Cleo either.

“I – what?” Zari glared at the cat – at Cleo! – even though none of it made sense.

“Zari,” Amaya started slowly and took a deep breath, “I can talk to animals.”

“Are you making fun of me?” Zari asked.

“No, no!” Amaya reached out and held her hands, “I’m not, I promise. But I can talk to them, I can understand them, it’s why I became a doctor. Who better to help those without a voice than someone who hears them?”

“This is insane, you can’t talk to animals!” Zari raised her voice.

“Actually, it’s a family trait that’s been passed down for generations in my family. I’ve always been able to do it. Ray didn’t believe me at first, but after I showed him proof-”

“Alright, then show me proof!” Zari demanded.

Amaya frowned, “Didn’t I already? I told you why Cleo doesn’t like you. And she actually told me Rip’s name before I actually met him. She really likes him, says he’s a good man.”

“She told you his name,” Zari blinked as she tried to comprehend it all. “No, no, no! You can’t talk to animals,” Zari repeated. Just then Cleo meowed again.

“Really?” Amaya looked down demurely before looking back at Zari with an impish smile, “Because Cleo just said that you really like me. And you think I’m pretty.”

“I knew that cat couldn’t keep a secret!” Zari glared at the cat. Cleo purred happily in response. Then Zari took a deep breath, digesting this new piece of information. She turned back to Amaya, “You can talk to animals.”

“Yes.”

“And you ask them their problems and how they’re feeling and hold conversations with them on a regular basis?”

“Yes.”

“Alright then.”

“Are you sure?” Amaya asked nervously, “I can understand if you don’t want to have a girlfriend that can talk to animals. My last boyfriend didn’t handle it too well.”

Zari snorted, “Having you as a girlfriend at all would be pretty awesome no matter what.” Her eyes widened as she realized what she had just said.

“Funny, I was thinking the same thing about you,” Amaya leaned in and pressed her lips against hers. It was a short kiss, but sweet and Zari missed her almost immediately.

“Did the cat tell you to do that?” Zari asked suspiciously.

“No,” Amaya admitted, “Cleo is actually pretty overprotective of you despite how much she complains about you. She gave me the entire talk about not hurting you while you were getting rid of Rip. She also wants us to get a room and stop ruining her innocence. The kiss was all my idea.”

“Well, thank you for protecting my metaphorical virtue, Cleo,” Zari looked at the cat and nodded once in thanks. Maybe there was still a chance they could get along. “As for you,” Zari looked back at Amaya with a determined look before pulling her in for another kiss.

Cleo watched the scene with a look of distaste. She refrained from rolling her eyes or hissing at them, they probably wouldn’t notice anyways. She jumped off her perch and gave them one last glance. Honestly, humans. It almost made her miss being one.


	2. Nine Lives

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fact: Cats have nine lives.  
> No, wait. Untrue. Let’s try that again.  
> Fact: Gideon has nine lives. And on occasion she can turn into a cat. (She’s not entirely sure, but she thinks this whole ‘cats have nine lives’ rumor started with her sometime in the 1900’s, yet another reason why she avoids alcohol now.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ...yes this was planned, yes this is basically a crack!fic at this point. Enjoy cat!Gideon anyways!

Fact: Cats have nine lives.

No, wait. Untrue. Let’s try that again.

Fact: Gideon has nine lives. And on occasion she can turn into a cat. (She’s not entirely sure, but she thinks this whole ‘cats have nine lives’ rumor started with her sometime in the 1900’s, yet another reason why she avoids alcohol now.)

Another fact, just because Gideon can turn into a cat, doesn’t mean she always wants to. But here she was, on her ninth life, cursed into a cat permanently. She supposed it was only fair. Her sister was always the better spell caster. Whereas Gideon excelled in potion brewing, Lena’s specialties lied in incantations. Still, one silly argument shouldn’t have been enough for Lena to curse her into her into a cat. But it still happened. And this time, she couldn’t change back.

At first, it was more of a nuisance than anything. It wasn’t like she was a powerful witch to begin with, even with her pendant helping her. But as a cat, it was even harder to access her power. She had no way of reversing the curse, and it wasn’t like Lena was getting over her grudge any time soon. So, she was stuck as a cat. Really, she had two options. Either it was a ‘true love cures all’ curse and she had to go find an ex to help her out, which, no thank you! Or, it came with a time limit and would wear off on its own. Gideon hoped for the second. She still had some pride after all.

She was able to handle it at first. Being a cat living on the streets wasn’t exactly the easiest thing, but every now and then a stranger took pity on her. All she had to do was look innocent and let out a soft meow and they petted her instead of the dog on the other side of the road. So it was all easy to handle, until winter settled in. Then it got cold and Gideon realized cat fur does not in fact provide the best protection for long periods of time.

She missed the warmth of modern heating, and indoor plumbing. She did not live this long to be robbed of these amenities! Gideon needed the human comforts; she missed them. So the best thing to do was find some unsuspecting human to take her in. She watched and waited. Many possible candidates crossed her stoop, but they were all wrong in some way. That one was a dog person, that one had too many kids for Gideon to handle, that one had allergies, another one petted her too roughly. They were all wrong.

And then, one day she saw him. He was walking home, accompanied by a woman. Possibly his girlfriend, but Gideon didn’t mind. Instead, she noticed how he stopped and actually talked to the strays despite how his friend rolled her eyes at him. And every now and then he would stop and give treats. He was perfect, he was the one Gideon wanted to go home with. So she plotted. The next time he came around she was ready. Positioned in the most defenseless way possible, soft and scared purring, and big eyes. No one would be able to say no.

When they walked by, Gideon let out her softest purr. It was enough for him to stop and coo at her, pet her softly. But one word from the woman and he was ready to leave again. Gideon opened her mouth to yell at her, how dare she ruin Gideon’s moment! Instead, the cold and damp weather had apparently gotten to her, and Gideon sneezed. The man stopped and looked back at her, his picture the face of worry. Then he picked her up and wrapped her into his duster, arguing with his friend about how they were taking her.

And that’s how Gideon went home with Rip Hunter.

* * *

 

“We’re not keeping the cat,” Zari crossed her arms as she glared at the animal. Gideon glared back.

“It will only be for a little while,” Rip promised, “The poor thing is sick.”

“Well at least one of you is nice,” Gideon commented flippantly. Of course, they only heard meows. Rip stroked her fur and she couldn’t help but nuzzle against the warmth.

“Now, we’ll take you to a vet and you’ll be better in no time,” Rip told her. Gideon appreciated how he spoke to her rather than at her. Even if his friend rolled her eyes at him. Rip fiddled with her necklace, toying with the blue stone. He turned it around and read on the back, “It’s a bit worn, looks like, Cleo. Is that your name? Do you belong to someone?”

Cleo? No, no, it was supposed to say Gideon! But of course, that necklace had survived decades with her. Her source of all her power, it would be worn out by now.

“Who gives a cat a necklace?” Zari asked aloud.

“Not sure. It does some a bit odd,” Rip agreed, “I suppose we could always make lost posters for you once you’re better.”

“And if we don’t find her owners?” Zari narrowed her eyes at him.

Rip shrugged innocently, “Then we’ll just see then.” Mentally, he made a list of all the things they would need to keep a cat. Food, scratching post, litter box, perhaps some toys for her to play with. He took the necklace off the cat; it needed a bath terribly. The cat immediately hissed at him, pawing for the necklace. Rip held it away from her, “No, wait. Alright, I won’t get rid of it.” He placed it on the table beside her to prove his point. She settled down and kept her eyes on it.

“Great, we have a possessive cat. This should be fun,” Zari deadpanned.

Rip ignored her and picked the cat up, “Come on, Cleo. You need a bath.” That set off another round of shrieks and hissing.

* * *

 

“Hey there, pretty girl,” Rip greeted Cleo as he picked her off his bed and into his lap, “I have a present for you.” They had owned the cat for a few months – alright, he had owned the cat for a few months since Zari insisted on wanting nothing to do with it. They had tried to put up lost posters, and Rip gave it a few days before taking them down and buying all the necessary things a cat owner needed. And he loved the beautiful creature, even if Zari always had an offhand comment to make.

Cleo had a few odd quirks; this was true. She would rather eat from his plate than from her own bowl. She hated using her litter box when others were around (Zari always made a comment about how she wanted privacy like a queen). But it was something she returned, always turning away whenever Rip came out of a shower with only a towel on. She didn’t have much interest in any of the cat toys he bought her, instead preferring to look over his shoulder at whatever newspaper he was reading. Though, she did have an affinity for fuzzy blankets, yarn and anything else remotely soft and warm. Which of course meant Rip would often find Cleo wrapped up in his old duster. But for all her oddities, Rip had to admit she was strangely attached to him. (He once tried to bring a girl home and Cleo had refused to vacate the premises. Needless to say, the night had not gone as planned and Zari had mocked him and his cat mercilessly.)

Perhaps Zari was right and he did spoil her a bit. Letting her eat off his plate, or sleep in his bed, but that’s what pet owners did. Cleo was his friend, and a terrific listener despite what Zari believed. He swore, sometimes the cat actually understood him.

“Well, what is it?” Gideon demanded as she saw Rip simply smile at her, a far off look in his eyes.

Rip looked down at the impatient meow and took out the collar he had made especially for her. “I know you hate wearing these-”

“Of course I do! They’re itchy and too tight! You wouldn’t wear something that choked you would you? The ties don’t count,” Gideon argued, only for Rip to pat her head.

“But, I know how much you love that necklace, so I had the blue stone added to it. Isn’t it pretty?” Rip asked her.

“You took apart my pendant?” Gideon asked in disbelief. She stared at the black collar, with the blue stone almost glowing against it. Her tie to magic, now turned into a collar. How could he? Rip reached out and put it around her neck despite Gideon’s protests. She didn’t want to wear the stupid thing, he should change it back to what it – oh. Well this wasn’t too bad she supposed.

She could still feel the magic churning inside it, so it still worked. She hopped off the bed and went to look in the mirror, ignoring Rip laughing at her. She tilted her head as she considered the fashion statement. Gideon turned back to Rip, “I suppose it could be worse. What do you think?”

“You look great,” Rip answered. Of course he couldn’t understand her. But Gideon felt as though he could. “Come on,” he waved her over, “Let’s go see if Zari has dinner ready for us. If you’re good I’ll even share.”

“You always share anyways,” Gideon pointed out as she prowled over to him. Rip picked her up in his arms, kissing her head and scratching behind her ears. Gideon most definitely did not purr at it. She was human! Admittedly, she had been known to like tuna and had an affection for yarn. But those were mere coincidences! As was the aversion to dogs, they simply couldn’t be trusted. But none of that meant anythi – oh, yes! Right there! She couldn’t help the content sound that left her mouth, even if it might have possibly sounded like a purr. Being stuck as a cat was hard sometimes; Gideon deserved the pampering.

* * *

 

At some point, Gideon had resigned herself to no one ever understanding her again. Least of all her roommates. (They were not her owners, Gideon was a human, thank you very much.) Then she met Amaya.

Amaya, who could understand her. At first, Gideon thought she was imagining things. The vet had asked for her name and Gideon had told her, trying to ignore Zari’s wrong moniker for her.

But Amaya knew. She called her Cleo with a wink. So, Gideon started talking to her, telling her about her symptoms, how Rip took care of her, and also about the setup of the office because it was in need of redecoration. Then they had to leave, Gideon almost let out a whine at the thought of leaving the one person that could understand her anymore. Almost.

Later, Zari even tried to talk about Amaya with her. Gideon lamented with her, she would also miss the nice veterinarian, though possibly for different reasons than Zari.

“…and looks like she has really soft and kissable lips.”

“You know I really don’t need to hear about this,” Gideon insisted, “But if you like her, why didn’t you just ask her out?”

Instead of answering her question, Zari went on to berate Gideon about how she couldn’t tell anyone Zari’s secret. Gideon would have argued, but secret keeping was a bit of a problem. Whenever she accidentally let it slip she was a witch that could shape-shift into a cat, they usually had to move again.

Not that it mattered anyways, Rip figured it out all on his own. Zari made some quip about Rip not having a girlfriend (which Gideon had to defend, “None of the girls he sees are nice anyways!”) which somehow led into a conversation of how Zari wanted Amaya for a girlfriend.

Gideon suspected that was the end of that. Until Amaya showed up on their doorstep a couple of weeks later. Oh, someone had a date! Gideon didn’t need to be present for this. She attempted to follow Rip out the door when Zari imprisoned her in the apartment.

“Well that’s not fair! How come he gets to leave and I don’t?” Gideon argued.

“What’s the matter, Gideon?” Amaya asked softly as Zari had her own conversation with Rip, “You don’t want to spend time with us?”

Gideon eyed the woman carefully, “You should call me Cleo. Otherwise they might wonder.” She had begrudgingly gotten used to the title. “And I’d rather not be around when you two are kissing, thank you very much.”

Amaya blushed, “Why do they call you Cleo?”

“My collar,” Gideon pawed at the blue stone she wore. Gideon considered giving Amaya the short version of events that occurred to make her a cat, but she didn’t see the point. “It says Gideon, but it’s old, so Rip read ‘Cleo’”

“You and Rip are pretty close, huh?”

“He saved me,” Gideon admitted, “He means a lot to me. And so does Zari!” The two of them may have had their ups and downs, but Gideon did like having the other woman in her life. She saved Gideon from having to put up with Rip all the time. “Don’t hurt her.”

“I won’t,” Amaya promised. A smirk appeared on her face, “So Rip means a lot to you, huh?”

“And?” Gideon hissed.

“All I’m saying is you seem a little attached to him. Are you sure there’s nothing you want to-”

“There is nothing!” Gideon argued as she stalked away to the armchair. She was a magical being and practically immortal. She had lived multiple lifespans. As if there was something going on there. “Absolutely ridiculous!”

In the end, Gideon was right; she did have to put up with the two of them making out. Amaya tried to make Zari believe she could talk to animals, so Gideon helped her out. (“Oh for goodness sake, she thinks you’re pretty and likes you and wants to kiss you!”)

Apparently, Amaya had taken that as permission to kiss Zari, no matter how much Gideon yelled at them to get a room. One of them actually did want to watch the musical. She gave up eventually and jumped off her perch, deciding to make a graceful retreat to Rip’s room until he came back. They didn’t even feed her! Gideon gave them one last glance. Honestly, humans. But the scene of them being together, with no barriers, it made her miss being human. Stupid curse.

* * *

 

“Ah, hello Amaya,” Rip greeted as he opened his door to the sight of Zari and Amaya making out on the couch. Again. They had only been together for a few months, but it was a rather common sight to walk in on. The girls pulled apart, Zari not even the least bit ashamed while Amaya had a blush on her cheeks.

“Hi Rip,” Amaya responded shyly.

“You’re back early,” Zari commented, “I thought you had a work dinner?”

“I did. It ended early,” Rip deposited his keys on the counter and started rummaging through the cupboards. Surely, a late night snack wouldn’t hurt. A meow caught his attention and he found Cleo wrapped up in his duster again on one of the chairs. “What are you doing in there?” he asked.

“She said she wanted the coat,” Amaya explained. Rip nodded as he tried to separate the cat from his old coat.

“Hey! You don’t see me taking away your precious suits!” Gideon argued with him while clinging to the coat, “That coat was straight out of the dryer and warm, Rip! And where have you been? You left me alone with them, again! All they do is flirt and kiss; do you know how boring it is?”

“Sorry!” Amaya called from the room. Gideon grumbled; she should be!

“What’s she saying?” Rip asked as he took the cat into his arms.

“Just complaining about us kissing and you not saving her,” Amaya answered as Zari laughed.

“Ah, I see,” Rip rubbed Cleo’s head, “Well come on then, I’ll save you now and we can give these girls their space. Let’s go watch Netflix in my room.”

“Oh can we watch the dragon movie? It’s so cute!” Gideon begged.

“She wants the dragon movie,” Amaya translated at Rip’s questioning face. He wondered how they had survived without her for so long.

“Alright then,” Rip agreed. He grabbed his bowl of popcorn in one hand and Cleo in his other. As he left, he nodded to the girls, “Enjoy your night.”

“Oh we will!” Zari promised. Rip laughed and shook his head at her, making sure to close his bedroom door on the way in. Gideon went straight for the pillow and curled up on it. Rip laughed at her as he set up his laptop on the bed.

“What? It’s the softest and warmest place for me,” Gideon defended herself, “It’s not like you don’t do the exact same thing when you have all those blankets.” Of course, Rip couldn’t understand her and simply petted her. Gideon sighed and focused on the movie.

“You are incredibly affectionate,” Rip commented as Gideon curled up next to him halfway during the movie.

“The backrubs are nice. And you’re warm,” Gideon explained with a yawn.

“Someone’s tired,” Rip said. He shut down his laptop despite Gideon’s protests and started getting ready for bed.

“Oh come on! That’s not fair! I yawned once, and we didn’t get to finish the movie!” Gideon complained as Rip tried to tug the pillow from under her.

“Cleo, please!” Rip begged, “I am tired and just want to go to sleep. Let go!” Gideon huffed but moved so that he could take the pillow from her. Sometimes she wondered if she should have Amaya give them her real name. But they seemed rather attached to the name Cleo. “Thank you, you can sleep here if you like.”

“Fine,” Gideon responded primly as she curled up next to Rip’s head, “We better finish the movie tomorrow.” Instead of responding, Rip petted her head and turned out the lights before turning over to sleep. Gideon sniffed and closed her eyes; she would take that as a yes.

* * *

 

Rip groaned at the annoying beeping of his alarm. He reached out blindly to hit the off button, his hand finding nothing but the wooden table.

“Turn it off,” a woman grumbled next to him.

“I’m working on it,” Rip answered tiredly. Finally, his hand hit the button, “There. Done.” He turned over and buried himself under the blankets some more.

“Good,” she muttered again.

Rip hummed in acknowledgement before suddenly realizing. That was a woman’s voice, except he had gone to bed alone. Rip’s eyes flew open to find a woman with brown hair asleep next to him. Completely naked.

Rip yelled, startling the woman who jolted up. The movement caused Rip to move back and fall off the bed.

“Well, what are you screaming for?” she asked irritably as she looked at him over the edge.

“Oh my god!” Rip covered his eyes as he continued yelling, “Who are you?”

“What do you mean who am I?” the woman looked at herself suddenly. “Oh my god! I’m human!”

“You’re naked!” Rip yelled at her.

“Well yes that too,” she shrugged as she tried to cover herself up with the blankets left on the bed, “Would you mind if I take a shower first?”

“Take a shower?” Rip asked incredulously. He blinked at her twice before screaming at the top of his lungs, “Zari! Help!”

“Well don’t call her! What are you going to do? Wake up the entire world? Honestly, Rip,” the woman shook her head at him. Rip had no time to respond as the door banged open, revealing Amaya and Zari, the latter brandishing a frying pan.

“What the hell is going on?” Zari demanded holding the frying pan as threateningly as she could. It didn’t work so well considering she still looked half asleep and was wearing only an old shirt, not that Amaya was any better.

“What are you planning on doing with that?” the woman asked. Amaya frowned at her.

“Rip, there’s a naked woman in your bed,” Zari told him.

“Yes, I know! Why do you think I yelled?” Rip responded.

“Look I don’t want to know what you get up to in here,” Zari raised her hands as Rip stared at her bug-eyed, “Especially if it involves collaring them.”

“I – what?” Rip turned to look at the woman. She was wearing Cleo’s collar. Cleo who had curled up next to him last night after the movie. That was impossible. “Cleo?”

“Gideon,” Amaya breathed from behind Zari.

“Hello,” Gideon said, “Can I please go have a shower now? And we can talk about this later?”

“I-” Rip didn’t know how to finish that sentence and continued to stare at her.

“I’m taking that as a yes,” she undid her collar and stuffed it in Rip’s hand as she walked by him still wrapped in her blanket, “Don’t lose that. I’ll need it later.” Rip continued to stare blankly after she left. His cat was a human.

* * *

 

“You look like you could use something stronger than a cup of tea,” Zari said as she placed a cup of coffee in front of him. Rip looked up and rubbed his temples as he muttered thanks. He took a sip of the caffeine before sighing deeply.

“Cleo is a person,” Rip finally said, “My cat turned into a woman overnight.”

“And she was naked,” Zari reminded him.

“And she was naked,” Rip groaned as he rubbed his eyes, trying to remove the image from his brain, “I think my head hurts.” His cat was a person. A woman. How?

“Her name is also Gideon,” Amaya added as she took a seat next to them at the table.

“What?” Rip demanded as he looked at Amaya.

“Her name, her real name. It’s Gideon,” Amaya explained tentatively, “She mentioned it in one of our conversations, but said not to tell you guys. You seemed to like calling her Cleo.”

“Her name is Gideon,” Rip repeated monotonously. He stabbed his finger against the table as he punctuated every point, “So, my cat is actually a woman, whose real name is not Cleo, but Gideon, and she’s currently taking a shower in our apartment. How the hell does that happen?”

“Well I got into an argument with my sister and she saw it suitable to curse me into a cat for the past year and you happened to find me and think my name is Cleo,” Gideon answered easily as she walked into the kitchen dining area. She looked around at the looks she was getting, “Oh right, I’m also a witch and so is she. Have you got my collar? Oh is that coffee? Share.”

She didn’t wait for a response as she took a sip of Rip’s coffee and closed her eyes in bliss. She put the cup down and grabbed the collar, tearing off the blue stone and threading it onto a gold chain.

“You’re a witch,” Rip repeated in disbelief. Gideon nodded as she pulled on her necklace. “But there’s no such thing as magic!”

Gideon gave him a stern look, “So you can believe Amaya can talk to animals, but you don’t believe in magic? Ha.” Rip had no response to that. It was too early for this.

“She makes a good point,” Amaya agreed.

“Are those my clothes?” Zari asked as she recognized the leather jacket and skinny jeans.

“Yes, I borrowed them,” Gideon admitted, “I didn’t want to scandalize Rip any further.”

“Scandalize me?” Rip spluttered.

“A beautiful woman appears in your bed and you scream. Honestly,” Gideon rolled her eyes at him as she munched on a piece of toast. Zari laughed along with her as Rip just glared.

“Yes, most people would, when a naked stranger appears in their bed,” he responded sarcastically.

“Well I’m hardly a stranger,” Gideon shrugged, “We’ve shared your bed plenty of times.”

“She’s got a point there,” Zari nodded appreciatively.

“Shut up, Zee,” Rip snapped.

Gideon smiled and walked up to him, “So, what do you think?”

“About what?” Rip asked confused.

“About me,” Gideon said as she gave a twirl, “Well?”

“I think I preferred you as a cat,” Rip whispered. Gideon’s face dropped at that, her eyes widening. She swallowed and looked blankly at the wall as she shifted her weight uncomfortably.

“Right, of course you do,” Gideon cleared her throat, “Well, thank you for letting me use the shower and the breakfast. And for, for letting me stay here as long as I did. But I think I’ve outstayed my welcome, so I should go. Goodbye.”

Gideon nodded at Zari, waved at Amaya and gave Rip one last forlorn look before leaving the apartment. Rip stared at the closed door until Zari kicked him.

“Ow! What the hell was that for?” he demanded.

“You upset her!” Zari told him.

“Since when do you care how I treat Cleo – Gideon?”

“Since you basically made her cry by being an asshole. Way to go, Rip. Our cat essentially just ran away.”

Rip looked at Amaya for help, but she shook her head at him. He sighed, “I didn’t mean to! I was just surprised. She was a cat, and then she was human, and apparently a witch. And that means magic is real and-”

“And start small, Rip,” Zari stopped him, “Right now, Cleo – Gideon is a human. Who is navigating the human world, all on her own.”

“Oh god,” Rip’s eyes widened in realization. She was all alone and he had all but kicked her out. He rose from the table grabbing his duster – she always loved it – and keys, “I’ll be back later!”

“Either bring her home or don’t bother coming back at all!” Zari ordered. Rip gave her a mock salute and blew her a kiss before leaving as well. Zari rolled her eyes as she placed her head on Amaya’s shoulder, “My roommates are idiots.”

* * *

 

“Cleo! Cleo, would you just stop for a second!” Rip begged as he grabbed her arm on the busy street.

“My name is Gideon,” she snapped at him as she tried to shake him off, “Let go.”

“No,” Rip refused, “You’ll just run away again.” Why she didn’t just magic herself away like they did in the movies, Rip didn’t know. “Okay, look, Gideon, I’m sorry. Alright? I’m really very sorry. But this is a lot for me to take in!”

“A lot for you?” Gideon hissed, “For the past year I have been stuck as a cat. How do you think I feel?”

Rip pulled her over into an empty corner of the street away from prying eyes and eavesdroppers, “How do you think it is for me? Up until now, I had no idea you were human! You were my cat, Gideon. I was your owner.”

“You were not my owner,” Gideon snorted, “You were more like – like a roommate.”

“Oh yes,” Rip agreed sarcastically, “One that fed you, collared you, bought you toys, let you sleep in my bed. Of course. Complete roommates.”

“You don’t own me,” Gideon growled.

“No, but I did put up with a lot from you,” Rip countered.

“Like what?” Gideon demanded.

“Like you stealing my pillows-”

“They’re soft!”

“And my duster-”

“You hardly wear it anyways,” she argued.

“Eating half my food-”

“Do you have any idea how bad cat food is compared to human food?” Gideon asked in deadpan.

“Oh god, you’ve seen me naked haven’t you?” Rip moaned as he remembered the amount of times he had changed with her in the room.

“Don’t worry, your modesty is well preserved,” Gideon rolled her eyes, “I can close my eyes.”

“You scared away half my girlfriends!”

“You kept inviting them over and you were going to do that in front of me!” Gideon hissed as she took a step towards him, “I slept on that bed too, Rip!”

“I – alright, that is a fair point,” Rip admitted.

“Besides,” Gideon gave a wry smile, “None of them were good anyways. Especially that loud mouthed redhead!”

“Yeah, she was pretty talkative, wasn’t she?” Rip agreed, “But really hot.” Gideon laughed at him, playfully smacking his shoulder.

“I wasn’t that bad of a pet, was I?” Gideon asked quietly as Rip rubbed his shoulder.

“Roommate,” he corrected automatically, “And no. You weren’t. And I’m sure you’re a wonderful human as well. I’m sorry, for what I said before. I didn’t mean it. I was just surprised, honestly.”

“I know,” Gideon accepted softly, “I’m sorry too. I shouldn’t have been so hard on you. Having your cat turn into a human probably isn’t an everyday occurrence.”

“No, it’s not,” Rip nodded. They stood there awkwardly for a few moments before Rip finally found the courage to ask, “Where are you going to go?”

Gideon shrugged, “I don’t know. I’ve been a cat for so long, I don’t even know if my human life is still there to return to. Maybe my sister has me declared dead, again.”

“Are you going to hunt her down and turn her into a frog?” Rip joked.

“Don’t be ridiculous. You read too many fairytales and watch too many movies,” Gideon lectured, “You can’t just turn someone into an animal like that. Even if you could, I’m better at potions than at spells.”

“You were turned into a cat,” Rip frowned.

“Oh, no, I can do that on a regular basis if I like. She just cursed me so I stayed as a cat,” Gideon explained.

“You’re a witch that can turn into a cat on will. Right,” Rip rubbed his temples. He sighed as he looked her over, “So what happens now? Do you even want to find your sister?”

“I don’t know. I don’t particularly want to spend my last life looking for revenge. Seems like a stupid way to spend it,” Gideon said.

“Well you could always stay with us, obviously,” Rip pointed out.

“Thank you,” Gideon gave him a small smile.

“Wait,” Rip frowned, “Your last life?”

“Yes. Nine lives. I’m on my last one now,” Gideon explained, “I have lived for far too long I think.”

“You have nine lives,” Rip repeated. This was becoming a really long morning. “Is that because you’re also sort of a cat?”

Gideon huffed, “That is the last time I ever tell a bartender any of my secrets! Honestly, that stupid rumor has been following me around for like the last three lives!”

“Sounds like quite the story. Would you like to tell me about it? And any other stories you have?” Rip offered.

Gideon gave him a doubtful look, “I’ve lived for a very long time, Rip. I have a lot of stories.”

Rip shrugged, “How many times have you listened to my girlfriend and work problems over the past year? I’m a good listener too, and I’ve got time. Just give me a try. We can to back to the apartment, have some hot cocoa?”

“Oh, with the mini marshmallows?” Gideon asked excitedly.

Rip chuckled as he held out a hand for her, “If you’re good.”

Gideon rolled her eyes as she took his hand and they walked side by side, “I’m always good. Besides, you’d give me some anyways.”

“Yes, I would,” Rip agreed easily.

Gideon shook her head as she smiled up at the man next to her, trying to make heads or tails of him. Even with the past year they had spent together, they would have to relearn each other. That was the remarkable thing about humans. No matter how long Gideon had spent on earth, they never ceased to amaze her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And all your unasked questions are answered!

**Author's Note:**

> ...the ending leaves potential for a second chapter if you would like an explanation.


End file.
